Driver that patients can rely on

John Salter, aged 73, worked for the Southern Electricity Board for 30 years before taking early retirement on ill-health grounds in 1985, after open heart surgery.
Mr Salter became a volunteer car driver for South Central Ambulance Service 27 years ago and has since covered 1,115,754 miles, taking patients to and from their outpatient appointments countrywide.
In that time, he has seen it all. Highlights, he said, included patients leaving a prosthetic limb and a glass eye in his car.
Another patient he regularly took for dialysis used to spot the names on Eddie Stobart lorries and the country of origin on foreign number plates and despite being on a controlled diet, professed a love of jellied eels and pickled onions.
For those considering becoming a volunteer ambulance car driver, Mr Salter said that important attributes included an enjoyment of driving, meeting people and punctuality.
“Sometimes you can be out early in the morning and back home late at night, but it’s a good feeling to know that you have helped someone and that they appreciate your help,” he said.
Appreciative NHS clinicians include a paediatric specialist radiographer at Churchill Hospital, Oxford, who wrote to thank him for driving a child on time to several early morning appointments. “You must have really put yourself out to achieve this, so thank you so much for providing such anexcellent service,”he said.
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer ambulance car driver should contact South Central Ambulance Service, telephone 02380 246173 or email